In the spirit of that, it's time to welcome the new crop of blog readers, the juniors! As we put the final touches on our incoming class of 2020, it's the juniors, the high school class of 2017, who are gearing up to start this process full swing. So what better time to give you a little list I got together with the help of my lovely team of college counselors over at the Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale? Have a look at these helpful hints to get your college search off the ground in the best way possible.
Here are my lucky 13 tips for you future class of 2021-ers! (sorry, that is 999,999,987 fewer tips than promised)
1) Your coursework and grades matter the most in this process. Stellar ACT and SAT scores can give you a nice boost, but at the end of the day, those grades are king. We look for the balance: taking the most challenging courses that you can that still allow you to maintain a strong GPA. And yes, your freshman and sophomore year grades matter. Big time.
2) Take challenging courses but don't overdo it, leaving you with a sub-par GPA. Again, it is all about finding that balance. Easier said than done, I know.
3) Think about taking both the ACT and the SAT. We at Tulane will look at both and have a conversion chart that shows us that XXXX on the SAT is worth roughly XX on the ACT. We only look at the higher of the two. Some students do better at one over the other. Taking both may end up helping you out. The ACT was the more popular of the two for the first time last year.
4) Trust your college counselors! Even if you are at a big public school, get to know them. They know what they are doing and can be your best advocate in this process. For all of you at smaller, independent schools, these people are experts too, and we know it. I am not saying you should stay away from an independent counselor, but trust what is already there for you.
5) Really get to know your teachers. Invest your time well in the classroom. Wow them. Make yourself missed when you leave. Become indispensable to your school.
6) Be open to a wide range of schools. Big, small, public, private, local, international, research universities and small liberal arts colleges. Explore them all, this is your time to do so. Keep an open mind! Just because you haven't initially heard of it or if it's not a "bumper sticker" college, don't rule it out. Seriously. There are over 3,000 colleges and universities out there; take the time to give some of them a shot. Found a few that strike your fancy? Here are some great questions to ask your admission rep.
7) Use your summers wisely. We think the programs to foreign countries or exotic service trips are great. But we also think working at Subway as a sandwich artist all summer is great. So is coaching a local youth sports team. Summers may be for taking a class at a community college. Don't worry if you can't take an amazing trip or do service work in Costa Rica. Trust me when I say some of the best summers are spent in some of the most humble ways. We love that.
8) Read books. Read the news online. Watch documentaries. Read more books. Know current events. Know what is going on in the world. Be a conversationalist.
9) Participate in a few extra-curricular things you love. We don't like the seven page resume laundry lists here at Tulane. We like the one page of passion—the two or three most important things to you. Find your passion and stick with it.
10) Stay out of trouble. I was in high school once, too. Be smart, guys. Academic dishonesty, drinking at Homecoming, etc., we are going to hear about it if it happens. Just be smart and make good decisions. I don't know when I turned into my dad, but just please don't make bad choices that will wreck your future.
11) Languages are important. We love to see that Spanish or French or Mandarin or whatever class continue into senior year. Office aide? Not so much.
12) Be careful with your internet presence. Not as much of a problem anymore, but just Tweet and post and blog and Instagram in an appropriate manner.
13) Start visiting colleges soon! Take spring break or a few days off to do so. Summer is fine, but not the best time to see colleges. Take a road trip to a school close by to you to get a feel for college campuses. Even better, come visit Tulane! Shoot us an email and we'll enlighten you to all kinds of great hotels with Tulane discounts, great places to eat, great festivals to check out, and oh, yeah maybe take a tour of Tulane, too. You can read all my tips for a great campus visit here.
Good luck, 2017!
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